The pursuit of happiness

Professor Jose will reflect on the assumption that all people know what will make them happy, and will discuss the reasons why we should reject this assumption.

Inaugural lecture—Professor Paul Jose

October 2017

Most people strive to be happy. Why do we want to be happy? What we do in order to achieve happiness and what are the various shades of happiness that we consequently experience? In this lecture, Professor Paul Jose will reflect on the assumption that all people know what will make them happy, and will discuss the reasons why we should reject this assumption.

He will also describe the group of individuals who seem to fear, or prefer to avoid, happiness. And finally, he will discuss the strategy of ‘savouring’—the practice of trying to maximise pleasure and happiness from the events of one’s life.

This is Professor Jose’s inaugural lecture as Professor of Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington.

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